DreamWorks is bringing Shrek back. But did anyone actually ask for it?
At Personno, we ran an AI-generated focus group trained on real audience data to predict how fans would react to Shrek 5.
The verdict? Not great.
1️⃣ “Hollywood never knows when to quit.”
Before even pressing play, expectations were low.
💬 “To be a W, it needs an original story — not just old jokes and pop culture references that will be outdated in a year.”
💬 “Another unnecessary sequel that ruins the legacy of the first two movies? That’s an instant L.”
Fans have seen this before. They’ve been burned before. And they don’t trust DreamWorks to deliver.
2️⃣ “It looks like AI garbage.”
No, that’s not us talking about our own AI-generated focus group.
That’s how respondents described Shrek 5’s new animation style.
💬 “It looks like AI garbage.”
💬 “Man, it feels OFF. Like they took Shrek and put him through a Snapchat filter”
💬 “It’s giving ‘Ugly Sonic’ — and if it stays like this, people will riot.”
DreamWorks completely overhauled the franchise’s look, but the backlash suggests that change ≠ improvement.
Fans aren’t asking for hyper-realistic, polished 3D models. They want the rough, slightly janky charm of the originals.
3️⃣ Who Is This Movie Even For?
💬 “Definitely feels like they’re trying to grab a younger audience, which kinda sucks for those of us who grew up with the original.”
💬 “They got Zendaya for Gen Z, but the old fans might be turned off.”
Shrek 5 is walking a tightrope between nostalgia and reinvention.
Get it wrong, and you end up with a movie that satisfies no one.
(See: Space Jam 2, The Matrix Resurrections, and every bad Disney live-action remake.)
4️⃣ Can Shrek 5 Be Saved?
If DreamWorks called our AI respondents right now and asked how to fix Shrek 5, here’s what they’d say:
🛑 “Ditch the weird, overly smooth character models.”
🔄 “Revert to the old animation style — people would be way more hyped.”
🎭 “Bring back the edge. Stop playing it safe and predictable.”
One respondent went so far as to say:
💬 “Honestly? I wouldn’t touch it. DreamWorks’ newer stuff is usually a miss. It’d probably end up worse.”
(Ouch.)
5️⃣ The Final Verdict? L.
After watching the teaser, every single AI respondent called Shrek 5 a loss.
💬 “It looks like a cash grab.”
💬 “If the story sucks on top of the bad animation, it’s game over.”
💬 “DreamWorks, please don’t ruin my childhood.”
Can DreamWorks prove the internet wrong?
What This Means for Hollywood (and Brands in General)
Reviving a beloved brand — whether it’s a movie, a product, or an entire company — is risky business.
The internet is:
✅ More critical
✅ More connected
✅ Faster to react than ever
A bad first impression can kill a project before it even launches.
That’s why at Personno, we use AI-generated focus groups to predict real audience reactions before brands make major moves.
Want to know if your next campaign, product launch, or rebrand will be a W or an L? Let’s talk.
🚀 What do you think — will Shrek 5 be a comeback or a disaster? Drop your take in the comments!
📌 P.S. Want to see the full focus group transcript? Read it here: Shrek 5 Teaser Study